The Air Nomads
by thelittleturtleduck
Summary: AU. They were the last of the airbenders, but they refused to give up hope. Aang had a destiny to fulfill and Katara was going to make sure she was with him every step of the way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hello again, everyone! It's been awhile since I did a full length story, so here we go again. Unfortunately updates will not be as frequent as "Proud" because of school, but I will try my best to upload chapters as frequently as possible.

**Important Background**

**Aang: **Aang is 16 years old when he is told that he is the Avatar instead of him being 12. He was told the same way all the other Avatars were, but he is still reluctant to accept his duty to the world. This does effect the timeline slightly of the story, and of course some of the adventures will be different, but Aang is still Aang.

**Katara:** Katara is 17 years old and is part Air Nomad. Her mother was a nun who took care of a sick Water Tribe warrior and nursed him back to health after a Fire Nation raid in the Earth Kingdom had left him wounded. They had just been married in secrecy when he had left to continue to fight against the Fire Nation. A letter was sent back to the woman months after his departure stating he had been taken to prison due to his participation in rebelling against the Fire Lord. Katara is an airbender in this story.

***All the other characters will be appearing in this story, there are just some family ties that will be changed and some birth lines as well. Do not fear, they will all be here. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters. **

* * *

**Prologue**

Smoke filled the air as their lungs desperately struggled for air. They once used to say that it was the element of freedom, but in the midst of burning piles of rubble and tortured screams, the two coughing figures couldn't help but disagree.

How could air be the element of freedom, when it's people were no longer free?

"Aang," The girl gasped desperately as they ran down the length of the dark hall, not really sure where either of them were trying to go. They just knew they needed to put distance between themselves and the main courtyard.

"Come on, Katara," The lanky teen called back to his friend, panting as he paused for a moment and allowed her to catch up. When she reached the spot in which he was standing, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close, words quiet.

"We need to get out of here."

Tear-filled silver eyes looked back at him, worry and fear evident within them, "Aang, what about my mother?"

"She will be safe. I just need to make sure you are."

That day had started like any other day, and sadly the boy had no idea why it had to take such a formidable turn for the worse. But as they continued to run, Aang realized he could have stopped this horrible occurrence from happening. It was his duty. But sometimes one is not ready to accept their duty when the time calls for it.

They had known that the Fire Nation was planning something big. They had been for years and the Air Nomads had suspected it. The imperialistic nation was one that was hardly secretive when it came to what they wanted.

They wanted to control every nation, to share their prosperity and wealth with everyone else. But this was not what Aang had heard was actually happening in the places in which the Fire Nation was conquering.

The Fire Lord had oppressed benders of the other nations, arresting them and putting them into camps in which most got sick and died. The towns that were once Earth Kingdom markets or trade centers were now overrun villages with tyrannical Fire Nation soldiers.

Aang had never expected they would reach the Air Temples though. Especially the ones reserved for the women.

He had been at the Western Air Temple on a visit, a visit to ensure that his Sky Bison was still growing steadily along. It would only be a year before the giant furry creature would join Aang back on his journey home, but with the way things were looking at that moment, he doubted it would be that long before his friend would be flying with him.

He paused in his running, Katara nearly crashing into him as he came to an abrupt stop. The air was cleaner on this side of the Temple, though the smell of smoke still tickled at their noses. They had reached a large wooden closet, it's doors reaching all the way up to the finely painted ceiling. Opening the doors quickly, the young airbender pulled out two crafted gliders. One for him, and one for her.

"Take it," He thrust the object into her hand, not allowing her a moment of protest. Grabbing her arm once again, he began to pull her in the opposite direction, swerving to the right and making a beeline down the hall leading to the bison caves.

"Where are we going?" Her question was never answered, a flaming piece of wood falling directly into their path, causing the girl to jump in surprise. Aang wasted no time though and directed a sharp wave of air directly towards the flaming pieces. The crackling fire only grew.

"This way," Aang directed in a hurry, pulling Katara back the way they had came. Instead of taking a right they took a left at the fork in the hall and ran down the corridor back towards the courtyard. Stopping short, Aang paused to look out the window.

Smoke was everywhere, and the tint of red that seemed to veil over his vision nearly caused him to be sick. He could hear their agonized screams, but he forced himself to stay calm as he shifted Katara's body in front of his own, pushing her gently towards the window.

"We need to get to the bison caves," He instructed, trying to coax her to crawl through the opening, "We can escape on Appa."

"I don't want to leave my people."

Aang could sympathize with her words, "They are my people too. The last thing I want to do is abandon them. But in order to make sure you are safe, we need to get as far from here as possible."

"But why is it so important that I'm the only one who makes it? Why just rescue me, Aang? I don't want to live if everyone else dies. I don't want to be the last."

"You won't be, Katara," He gave her another nudge, urgency apparent in his tone.

Though unsatisfied, the girl crawled through the window, dropping to the stone flooring that lay below with a huff. Even the usually cool tile was currently burning with heat. Aang dropped down beside her.

Everything was happening in a blur, a horrifying, flame-filled blur. High-pitched screams rang through the air and Katara tried desperately to block that out and focus on her labored breathing. The expression on Aang's face was a sign he was slowly being tortured as well.

Katara doesn't remember how they got there, but they did. Appa had been in his stable, practically causing a riot as he stomped his large feet and bellowed worriedly. Aang barely had a moment to calm him before leading him out of the back of the cave, the young woman following closely behind. When they reached the exit, Aang gently gathered her in the cradle of his arms and set her in the saddle, her limbs temporarily paralyzed as she tried desperately to grasp what she was seeing.

Her last view of her home was that of it crumbling in flames, the last sounds heard being the screams of her people as they were tortured.

Ashamedly, she turned away.

They flew for hours and hours, neither speaking, neither one of them knowing where to go or what to say. Rain poured from the sky but they doubted it would do anything to help the burning Western Air Temple. The rain would merely fall over the sides of the cliff, never once touching the flaming stone hidden beneath it.

"Aang?"

The young man sitting at the head of the bison looked back, regarding her with sad, stormy eyes. His clothes were singed around the edges, the orange and yellow fabric forever blackened by the smoke and the flames.

"Yes?"

The troubled girl looked back at him, a tear escaping from one of her eyes as she asked quietly, "Why would they do such a thing?"

Aang's heart nearly stopped, the weight of guilt on his shoulders steadily becoming heavier as he held back the urge to cry. Turning from her, he sighed.

"They want the Avatar."

Katara's mouth was set in a thin line, her voice shaky, "I hope they don't find what they want."

The boy shook his head, eyes glued ahead of them as the rain continued to pour, running down the length of his distinct blue arrows, "Yeah, I hope they don't either."

Aang hadn't only been visiting to check on his bison, he had been forced to visit to tell the nuns at the Western Air Temple the good news.

He knew of his position as the next Avatar, and he was going to protect the people of the world from the Fire Nation's attacks.

What a horrible job he had done so far.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I wasn't expecting so many follows so thank you everyone for deciding to embark on this journey with me. I was sick for a few days so I'm sorry this took so long, but here we go now! I hope you enjoy! God bless!

Also, I do realize that the bison were raised at The Eastern Air Temple but I just wanted to change it up because of the story. It's an AU, it happens.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or its characters.

* * *

Chapter 1

The rain that had started after the strike of the Air Temples, was as thick as woolen sheets, blazing across their skins as the two airbenders tried their best to see ahead. The beast they rode upon was severely untrained, dropping sharply whenever he couldn't see due to the blinding storm.

Aang made a quick decision, one he would have never considered had he not had Appa and Katara to think about. He directed the large bison in the direction of a cave on a lone island. He had wanted to reach the other temples, but he figured he was already too late.

It was just all too surreal. Like a nightmare that had jumped from his mind and into the real world. When the monks had told him they felt as though something bad was about to happen, they never used the world torture or death in their descriptions.

Even Katara moved as though she was in a trance, shakily jumping to the dry ground of the cave and wringing out her hair mechanically. Grey eyes looked at the wall unseeingly as the sounds of the rain pattering outside filled their senses.

The young man took a good look at the slender airbender as she just stood there, not really knowing what to do and trying hard not to break down. Her expression was one of loss, her usually prim and proper red and yellow robes now tattered and charred. His heart broke a little when he spotted the singed tips of her usually immaculate, brunette curls. She had never looked more lost or terrified than she did in that moment while standing in front of him, completely safe, yet completely alone even if she really wasn't.

His heart ached to take away the pain from his best friend.

They had met on a warm summer day, the sunlight warming the stone beneath their feet as they stood in front of one another awkwardly. As a boy of only 7 years of age, Aang wasn't much to look at. He was as skinny as the staff he carried around in his grasp and his head was as bare as a freshly picked moonpeach.

Even at 8 years old though, Katara shown with a light of her own. She was so different from the other girls he had met from The Western Air Temple. She had wide set eyes, bigger than what was the norm for his culture, and her skin was a few shades darker than his own. She had been taller than him at that time,  
something she had never let him live down even after his growth spurt had kicked in a few years later. Something that he had found most unusual about her though, wasn't her incredibly headstrong personality or obsession with order, it was the fact that she had two orange beads resting on the top of her forehead, forming little loops with her hair that extended to somewhere hidden behind her ears. He had instantly been drawn to her.

She was training in medicine, a job her mother had always prided herself in. Part of her training was to attend to the sick bison in the stables.

Unknowingly in Aang's absence from The Western Air Temple, Appa had fallen ill. Katara had been the one asked to look after him.

They didn't get along at first being so different, but then they eventually found their balance. He was awkward back then, stumbling over his words just trying to put them into a sentence that actually made sense. He wasn't around girls normally, so he really had no idea what to say to one.

Katara was stubborn, yet incredibly patient. As he became tongue tied, she would usually turn the conversation to a topic that she found easy to talk about. Facts about sky bison and all the different kinds of medicines were usually what they would turn to. Though Aang realized soon it was incredibly one sided and ended up resting his chin in his hand and simply listening to the girl prattle on about the things she felt passionate about.

There was just something so fulfilling about seeing her happy.

Their friendship took a few years to build, considering that Aang was at the Southern Air Temple the majority of his time and there was really no way to stay in contact with his friend at the other. But neither of them gave up on it.

Even after Appa was well again, Aang would spend his days at The Western Air Temple with the beautiful girl who had nursed his bison back to health.  
As time wore on, they became more comfortable around each other and talked about their lives rather than the facts they had been learning during their lessons.

Over the course of those years, they had gotten into a good amount of trouble together. On one of his visits, Katara had tried convincing him to sneak off with her to find her father whom she was convinced was still alive. When they had gotten to the bison stables, ready to leave and follow whatever hope she was still holding on to, they had mounted on to the wrong bison in the dark and were violently bucked off.

Their was a bison back then who was known as Mushi. No one had ever really claimed him, his wild nature being an extreme no no for a kind of people who were so calm and serene. But the nuns could not just throw him into the wild like nobody's business so they kept him in a separate stall away from all the other bison.

Somehow, that was the stall Aang and Katara had found themselves in.

That was the first time he had ever seen her scared.

A few broken bones later, Aang was forced to return to The Southern Air Temple. He was only 11 at that time.

The next few years had flown by in a blur to him, many a milestone passed during the lapse. The biggest one of all, earning his tattoos.

When he had returned to The Western Air Temple for the first time after receiving his pale blue arrows, Katara gave him a strange look as he presented himself to her.

The young airbender had never been very good at bending her element, her grasp of the concept of air coming to her a little slower than everybody else's. Though she was serene and agile like an airbender should be, she could also have a hot temper. This usually hampered her skills.

In that moment, he saw fear in her eyes again. A different fear. A one of failure.

Their friendship grew, though they didn't get to spend much time together. Aang easily decided she was his favorite person in the world, even more so than Gyatso. There was just something about her that was welcoming, something that was right. He never felt displaced around her as he did around the boys back at home.

When he had found out he was the Avatar only a few short days ago, he had been scared. Scared and also a bit confused. It didn't help that practically all of his friends turned their backs on him. He decided then that he couldn't tell Katara who he really was until it was absolutely necessary.

When he had arrived at The Western Air Temple to tell the news of his knowledge of his title, he had been met by Katara at the front of the bison stables with a look of worry evident on her features. That was the third time he had seen fear in her eyes.

She told him that she had heard a few of the nuns talking about danger approaching, a threat that could potentially harm her and her people. Aang had brushed it off though. He told her to relax and that it probably was just a paranoia running through the community. But he couldn't deny that, in his bones, he could feel something coming.

"Aang?"

The boy was quickly shaken from his thoughts as he was met with fear filled eyes that he was becoming all too accustomed to seeing.

"Yes?"

Katara's voice was hoarse as she whispered, "It's kind of cold."

The air did have a certain chill to it, most likely a product of the falling rain. A streak of lightning lit the cave momentarily, Aang catching sight of the saddle he left attached to Appa's back. There should be an emergency blanket stashed in there.

"Let me check the saddle."

A blanket was soon found along with two sticks, though Aang had never really learned how to start a fire. A certain frustration set in when he realized he had the energy in his body to spark a fire with the snap of his fingers.

"Please don't."

Katara's plea was meak as she wrapped the woolen blanket around her shaking shoulders. Resting her back against the cool stone wall of the cave, she looked up at him with a desperate, silver gaze.

"I don't ever want to see it again."

Aang nodded, understanding her stance. It had only been a few hours since they had been surrounded by an intense heat, the only sounds coming from them being that of their labored breathing.

Even though he understood her reasoning, he couldn't deny the fact that he was cold. His orange wrap only covered one shoulder, leaving his other exposed to the harsh wind that weaved its way through the mouth of the cave. Katara could sense his discomfort as well.

Promptly, she lifted a hand that had been curled into her chest and invited him into the warmth of the blanket. He didn't even hesitate.

Sides touching, the two Air Nomads looked directly ahead at the stone wall in front of them, their only light being that in which the lightning bestowed on them from time to time. The only sound that could be heard was that of Appa's labored breaths, and the falling ran that continued to splatter on the ground relentlessly.

Katara was the first to speak.

"There was so much fire."

"I know, Katara."

She shook her head, a look of disbelief appearing on her features, "But it wasn't only from the firebenders. Before it rained, the sky had been on fire too."

"It was a comet."

The girl's brows furrowed, her gaze shifting to the face of her companion, "How did you know that?"

Because that was the danger the nuns had been speaking of.

"From my studies."

Though she wasn't completely satisfied with the answer, Katara was too shaken up to really press him about it at the moment, "I just don't understand why anyone would attack us. We are peaceful people. We have never even tried to resist the Fire Nation before. They have always just left us alone."

Guilt gripped at the edges of his heart as he wrapped a comforting arm around the young woman's shoulders, "It doesn't matter. They just want power. They don't care whether they have to step on other people to obtain it."

"That's sick."

Aang nodded, "I agree."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, a boom of thunder causing Appa to jump a bit before he settled again.

"Aang," The airbender looked down at the girl, her eyes gazing directly into his, "What do we do now?"

"We fly to the other Air Temples and warn them."

The look Katara gave him told him exactly what she thought of that idea.

"This was all planned," She murmured, venom still evident in her voice though it remained weak from both her emotions and the smoke they had encountered earlier on, "They must have struck the other temples as well."

"You don't know that."

A fire became evident in Katara's eyes at his meek attempt of hope, "Don't pretend like you don't feel it too, Aang. The emptiness that is suddenly there."

The boy shook his head, "I feel it but I don't want to listen to it. I need to see everything for myself."

"You want to see our people dead?"

That silenced the young man quickly. In all honesty, he was a bit shocked at how blunt his companion was at the moment, her usually being the one who the more hopeful of the two. It was a scarier side of Katara that he had never seen before.

Even though he felt as though she wanted to be pushed away due to the attitude she was adopting,  
a war obviously brewing within the confines of her own mind, he drew her in closer.

"I don't want to see them dead, Katara," He murmured the words into her hair, hugging her tightly to his side.

"Then what do you want to see?"

"Them," He turned his face so that his gaze could meet her's, "I want to see them alive, and I want this all to be a nightmare."

Katara said nothing, but he could feel her arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to her as he did the same in return.

Guilt still swam within him, consuming all of his thoughts. This had all been his fault. They were in this predicament because of him. He was the Avatar, the Fire Nation wanted him. He had unknowingly just destroyed his nation.

And the young woman hugging him had no idea that he was the reason she was in so much pain. That he was the reason she most likely lost her mother. That it was him who had made them the last of their people.

Finally, that was enough to make him break. He began to cry, and so did she.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This one is a little shorter than the last mostly because it was a filler of the time in the cave! So don't worry, things will pick up! Please read and review! God bless.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters.

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Chapter 2

They stayed in that cave for days, words spoken quietly and breaths taken in hesitance. Neither one of them had heard people outside of the cave, but the fear they had of being caught overruled any rational thought that tried to fight its way into their minds. The rain just wouldn't stop.

They had very little supplies, only an emergency kit that lay on top of Appa's saddle. One was installed on every bison in case of an emergency like this, but the imagined circumstances were always so different from their own. Scenarios where an airbender is flying with a bison and loses his way and needs supples, or one's where the pair get stranded due to an injured rider or an injured sky bison.

No where had they mentioned what could be done in the case of genocide. No amount of cooling balms or cough syrups could fix that problem.

Still they did what they could with what they had.

There was one blanket of which they had to share. Neither minded though. With the nightmares that kept the both of them up at night, it was just nice to have someone to wake up to. It was like a piece of their own nation to hold when they couldn't determine the fate of it as a whole.

An assortment of medicines was also packed in with the blanket. Katara's eyes lit up as she took in the different mixtures. That was the first time he had seen her even remotely happy since the comet had come, and he couldn't help the goofy smile that found its way on to his features as he watched her from a short distance.

Next came a good amount of bandages, extras given just in case an injury proved to be a bloody one that required multiple changes throughout their time away from the Air Temple. Katara murmured something about these being a waste of space and that they were something that could be improvised, but Aang couldn't help but disagree. He made a remark about how she planned on bandaging a bison up only with the current wrap she wore, and that pretty much changed her view on the whole subject.

A few candles were withdrawn, followed by a sack of dried nuts. This came as a great joy to the two airbenders who were so starved that they feared they may soon become numb. Of course those nuts only lasted so long before they were gone, and their grumbling stomachs were welcomed back with great displeasure. Appa wasn't complaining though since there were a few food items he could eat as well stashed in there.

The only thing that wasn't a problem was water. There was absolutely no way they could be short of it with so much rain falling outside of their safe haven. Though it made them feel positively silly, whenever they felt like they could go absolutely no further without a few gulps, they would slowly venture to the front of the cave with their hands clasped and look from side to side. If no one was near the vicinity, they would lean their heads out and allow the liquid to roll down their tongues and slide across the walls of their aching throats.

It was a good system they had. It was a system that they had perfected by the fifth day. Then, finally the rain stopped.

What woke Aang up that morning wasn't the usual rumble of thunder or rogue flash of lightning that seemed to be a bit too close for comfort, it was a different warmth completely. It was sunshine.

Smiling crookedly at the sight, knowing that he looked like an idiot, he gently shook the girl that was currently resting on his shoulder. Her brunette waves tangled and brows furrowed, she slowly opened her eyes and met his own gaze with a questioning look.

"What?"

The smile on Aang's face only widened as she slowly shook herself from a sleepy haze, sitting up and quickly rubbing at her eyes. She had noticed the unusual light casting shadows across the dusty floor of the cave.

"Is that really the sun?"

The young man chuckled at her blunt question, though he could see that the smile on her face meant that she was only asking for effect, "Why don't you go see for yourself?"

Without hesitation, the girl stood from her sitting position against the wall and walked over to the opening in which the light shone in through.

Aang sat back, watching as Katara allowed the sunrise to ignite every inch of her body. There was just something about the way she looked in that moment that made him feel all fuzzy inside. It was like she was stealing the light of the sun and allowing it to radiate from herself, becoming an even more dazzling being than the source of light in the sky had ever been. That moment was an image that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

"Aang!" She called to him then, gesturing for the boy to join her at the mouth of the cave, "Isn't it wonderful?"

He definitely couldn't argue with that.

Something though stopped him from standing beside her, causing every muscle in his body to freeze. It was the realization that they were not confined to that cave anymore. They could finally continue on their journey.

He knew exactly where he wanted to go.

"Katara?" His voice was gentle as he began to pack up their things strewn across the floor, rolling up the warm blanket and stuffing it into the emergency pack, "Are you going to be ready to leave soon?"

The young woman's face turned so that she could meet his gaze, he looked concerned but also hesitant. She knew exactly where he wanted to go, and he knew for a fact that she did not want to travel where he did. But she had no choice.

"I thought we talked about this," Her tone was a bit cold as she walked past him and further into the cave, stopping at Appa's head and giving him a gentle nuzzle, "I don't want to see them all dead, Aang. Whatever we do now, needs to be far away from the Temples. Their could be firebenders left there to exterminate any returning airbenders who made it out alive. We need to come up with a plan for ourselves."

"Katara, we can't just assume they aren't still alive," His voice was desperate as he walked over to her, stopping as she took a step away from him, "We need to see if we can do anything to help them."

"They are such peaceful people. They wouldn't have ever fought the Fire Nation back. They would have never killed. They lost, I know they did."

"We can't lose hope."

The young woman glared at him, hurt apparent in her eyes, "You're telling me about hope? I'm the one trying to keep us alive! If we are the last of our people, we do need to preserve ourselves! I have hope for us, Aang. We can make it out of this alive."

"But we aren't the last!"

"How do you know that?!"

"Because we can't be okay!" Their voices had escalated to shouts by this time, but Aang's last statement was said in a whisper. He turned his back from his friend and allowed his shoulders to droop in defeat, "Katara, we can't be the only ones left. I just won't believe it. They can't all be gone. They have to be alright."

Katara's features softened as she listened to his words, hearing the absolute pain they caused him. Swallowing her pride, the young woman took a few steps towards her only companion and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go with you, Aang," Her resignation was quiet, but he could detect some hesitance in her tone, "I don't know if you will like what we see, but I do want you to see it. If you are somehow right, I will be eternally happy I stuck with you."

"And if I'm wrong?"

"Then I will be even happier that we stayed together," He smiled at her words, turning so that he could meet her gaze, "Because if everyone else is gone, we will still have each other."

For once since he had found out, Aang forgot he was the Avatar and that he would always be the only one of his kind. In that moment, he was merely an Air Nomad hopeful that his people had somehow survived the comet.

They had packed up and left within the following hour, bound for The Southern Air Temple.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry it took so long! School has been super busy for the past few weeks and I have standardized testing starting up. This chapter is short, but mostly because it is setting the tone of the next chapter which is actually a very important one. I have a very minimal amount of homework tomorrow, so expect another update in the late afternoon. For now, please enjoy and review. God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

For once in her life, Katara hated being right.

The sight that reached lay before her, was one not many would be able to stomach. Somehow though, she looked on with dry eyes as the bison under her released a low groan of remorse. The view was similar to the one they had left behind a number of days ago, except in the place of fire there was only ash, dust, and bones.

It was sickening.

Aang hadn't said a word, his eyes glued to the sky ahead of them, his hands gently easing into the motions of landing Appa. She knew he saw it all though, probably more than she saw. He was seeing every friend he had ever played with, every teacher that had ever lent a helping hand, and every person he had passed daily without saying a word to. They were only now but a skeleton of who they used to be.

Literally.

The once majestic spiraling towers of The Southern Air Temple were now tinged grey from the smoke and fire that had been unleashed upon them. Even the sky looked remorseful as dark storm clouds gathered but refused to release the deluge they surely carried. She figured that was probably how Aang felt right not. Heavy with emotions and tears, but desperately trying to keep them in.

The deluge didn't come when they landed, Aang as stony faced as he had been in the air while Appa firmly placed his feet upon the ground. It broke Katara's heart to hear the giant animal sniffling. Patting his furry side, she murmured a few words of comfort as Aang looked up the mountain a ways. They were a few levels down from the entrance of the temple and the air ball field, but that would only take a few moments on foot to conquer. She figured he was probably trying to prepare himself mentally for the things he was about to see, rather than in which direction they would be traveling.

"Stay here, Appa."

The bison gave a low grumble of protest, but his master paid him no heed. Katara watched on as Aang looked over the cliff's edge to the earth below.

"I don't understand how they were able to get up here."

The young girl heaved a sigh, leaning over the side of the saddle and resting her arms against its rough material, "Aang, I don't think it's safe for us to be here."

"We're fine, Katara. They finished their job."

"But maybe they know that not all the airbenders were here at the time of the attack. They could be waiting for us up there, and we could be walking directly into a trap."

"I don't care. I'm still going up there to see if my people need me."

The girl bit her lip to keep herself from being harsh. His voice was so cold and despondent that it made her want to give in to her own despair, but she couldn't with him like this.

"Aang, I know you saw what I did."

The young man stood rigidly with his back towards her, the line of his jaw tightening as he thought back to exactly what he had seen. He saw the same picture she had, all the bones thrown into careless piles and the undeniable amounts of ash that littered the stones of the courtyard. But he couldn't bring himself to believe that everyone was dead, not his people. Not Gyatso.

"I just need to be sure," His voice was quiet, with a certain amount of coldness that was incredibly uncharacteristic of the airbender, "You can stay here if you want, but I have to go."

Katara seriously thought about it for a moment, a bitterness arising in her stomach in direct response to the attitude Aang was using towards her. But one look at him was all she needed to decide what she was going to do.

He had turned to her now, his colorful array of robes a stark contrast to the dreary atmosphere around him. His face was hard, but she could see right through the false harshness he was trying to convey in response to the emotions that were currently at battle within him.

Sliding down Appa's leg, Katara used subtle airbending to dismount from the giant bison's saddle. Landing firmly on the ground, she gave Aang a gentle smile,  
though he did not give one to her in return.

"I'm going with you."

Though his only response was a terse nod, Aang couldn't deny that his spirit lifted a bit at the fact that she would be accompanying him.  
The feeling soon was gone after he realized what she was going to walk into with him. A freshly made graveyard littered with the bones of people who he had been chatting with only a few weeks ago.

Soon the two were making their way up the path, the only noise coming from either of them being the sound of their footfalls. As they got closer to their destination though, and as Aang's face began to fall a bit more, Katara closed the gap of separation between them and gently wrapped her tender fingers around his elbow. She felt him relax a bit under her touch, despite his rather abrupt attitude.

"Thank you," Aang murmured quietly, leaning his head to the side so that she could see the small smile that was on his features.  
She grinned softly, happy that he was finally returning the smile she had given him earlier.

They walked in silence for a few more moments before Aang finally voiced what he had been wondering since they had arrived at the temple.

"How does this not upset you?" His question was honest,  
yet their was a slight tone of disapproval in his words as he glanced to the side at her.

Katara had to fight the urge to lash out and scream at him that she had practically been forced to watch her people burn, but she held her tongue. She had to be gentle with Aang. He was different.

The young man had always been one of a sensitive nature, and Katara had discovered that first hand when she had met him all those years ago. While Appa was sick and Aang was staying at The Western Air Temple temporarily, he would sleep in the bison stables with his giant pet, tending to him during the night while Katara was asleep. Sometimes when she would arrive in the morning, she would see the remains of tears on the young boy's pale cheeks and the wrinkle of concern that seemed to be permanently etched between his brows. He was just a caring person by nature, one who responded to tragedy and illness in a very unique way. He avoided the worst case scenario, yet he also tended to dwell on it as well.

That's why she needed to be careful with her words and temperament. While she was one to suffer in silence, and trudge through whatever life threw at her, Aang was not. He expected everyone to react like him, their silence and lack of hope a symbol of disinterest on their part towards whatever he thought was worth grieving over.

Swallowing her biting response to his question, Katara sighed, "Aang, it does upset me. I had to watch people burn that night, and so did you. But no amount of putting myself in danger and searching the Air Temples is going to change the past. Fire Lord Sozin planned this, he calculated every move. He wanted to murder the Avatar, and he did. That's the end of it. It's not about lack of caring, it's just how I grieve. Through hope for the future, and a bit of logic."

"I don't look at things that way."

"Well you and I are very different people," She reminded him of this gently, squeezing his arm as she watched the crease of his forehead deepen, causing his tattoo to wrinkle, "But that's good. I know you are hurting right now, and I'm just trying to make it easier for you."

By this time, they had reached the entrance of the temple courtyard. Both stood and looked on past the gate with a sadness evident in their matching, stormy eyes.

"You don't have to do this, Aang."

But knowing the burden he carried upon his shoulders, and the amount of guilt that currently circled within the pit of his stomach, Aang shook his head with a reluctant determination, "Yes, I do."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: A much longer chapter than yesterday's! Please read and review! God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

A pair of closed doors with an intricate mechanism stood before them, untouched by the scorch marks that now marred the inside of the temple.

It had taken the two awhile to make it into the inside of the structure, Aang pausing every few steps in the courtyard to make a quiet statement about a set of bones here and there while Katara continued to hold on to his arm. The girl had to fight back tears as she watched her friend's eyes grow more lost and more lonely by the second, the usually bright silver coloring turning into a more stormy, clouded grey by the second.

The ambush had been similar to the one that was put into motion at The Western Air Temple, although the both of them agreed that this one must have taken a great deal of more planning and strategy. Not a sound could be heard, the wind whistling faintly as it wrapped around the two lone figures in the middle of the open space. Ash stuck to the bottoms of their shoes as they trudged on, Katara keeping an eye on the expressions on Aang's face as he continued along.

She expected him to cry, to turn his back from the scene and pull her towards the exit, but he didn't do either of those things. Aang's shoulders slumped forward, but he did not turn his face away from the remains of scorched skin and dried bones. He didn't even cringe when he saw a pile of skeletons stacked on top of one another, skin completely burned off after being set on fire. It was as though he was trying to commit it all to memory, no matter how morbid it all was.

But Aang wasn't trying to commit it to memory, he didn't want to remember any of the things he was seeing in that moment. But he couldn't look away. The downfall of his people was due to the Fire Nation's hatred of him, of the Avatar. Internally, the teenage boy was trying to torture himself for what he had caused. He couldn't unsee what he was seeing, because he deserved to see it. It was all his fault.

When they had finally made it into the set of temples, they were met with a similar sight. There were no Fire Nation soldiers anywhere to be seen, but they had permanently left their marks within the structure. Scorch marks and ash here, bones and burned flesh there, it was becoming familiar to the two airbenders now.

For a moment, Katara did allow herself to release a quiet cry. Her thoughts had returned to her mother who was probably lying on the floor of The Western Air Temple in a similar fashion, and just the thought of that was enough to break the young girl's brave demeanor for the briefest of moments. She had hoped Aang hadn't heard her small, tortured whimper, but he had. Gently, he turned them around and began to lead them in the opposite direction. He didn't know where he was going, but Katara didn't deserve to feel the anguish he was feeling at the moment.

That's how they had ended up at the large, untouched double doors.

"Where do they lead to?"

"I don't know."

Katara had never been to The Southern Air Temple before, her people preferring to carve their great structures from the stone in which they had always lived under instead of this smoother style of rock. The cold, marble workings of the current temple she stood in were a complete mystery to her, just like the mechanism that rested on the door and kept it shut. The girl's head tilted to the side slightly\  
with curiousity.

"It must lead to somewhere pretty special if it has a lock that complicated keeping it shut."

Aang nodded his head in agreement. Before he had left to visit The Western Air Temple, the monks had mentioned a great room in which held all of the knowledge he would ever need to be the next Avatar within. They were going to show it to him when he returned, but he guessed that wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

He stared at the locks for a moment before it finally clicked.

"You have to be an airbender to unlock them."

His friend looked back at the doors where the mechanism was. Her eyes followed the tubs that lined the sides until she saw what he did. Then it finally clicked for her too.

"I see it now!"

The young Avatar took a few steps back and dropped down into a low stance, ready to unleash a great gust of air, "Stand back , Katara."

"Aang, do you think we really should be going in there? What if it's a trap?"

"You thought this whole thing was going to be a trap and so far we haven't seen any firebenders around," He reminded her of this gently, raising his brows as he spoke, "This has to be pretty important if there's a lock that big on the front of it."

That and he kind of needed to see what was in there in order to take on the responsibility of the Avatar, something he had been reluctant to do since the monks had told him of his position.

The girl hesitated only a moment before stepping back and allowing him to use his bending in order to turn the three stones that rested in the middle of the mechanism. In turn the doors creaked open, their hinges rusted with obvious age.

The pair shared a look before they both slowly walked into the dark path that lay before them. Aang pushed the doors open a little wider to where light could enter the room and they could see. Both were floored by what came into their line of vision next.

Thousands of stone statues stood before them. They lined up in rows on the floor and extended high up to the roof along the walls. The room was enormous,  
their footsteps echoing off the walls as the two turned around and looked upwards at the spiraling structure.

"Who are they?"

Aang shook his head, silver eyes rapidly passing over every face that lined the wall beside him, "I have no idea."

Katara's glance switched to the statues that stood on the same level as her, lined up into a neat set of rows with both masculine and feminine figures dressed in the clothing of their born element. Singling one out that stood at the end of the line, the young airbender walked up to him and glanced up at his features.

The stone depicted him as an old, wizened man. He had many a wrinkle on his face that signaled that he had many a story to tell. The robes that were carved around his body were those of the Fire Nation, silken and finely made. His long hair was held up on his head by a small topknot that was held in place by a headdress that instantly gave away that he was born under the element of fire.

"That's Avatar Roku."

Katara was brought back from her thoughts by Aang who now stood behind her, a large hand gently resting on her shoulder as he looked into the eyes of the statue as well.

"So then they must be set up in the order of the Avatar Cycle."

They looked down the row and sure enough, the Avatars were in order from water to earth to fire to air.

"I didn't realize there had been so many Avatars," Katara murmured, her eyes glancing over each face of the figures that stood before her, the cold marble radiating a certain power though each individual's spirit was not there.

Though, in actuality, they all were comprised within the airbender who stood behind her at the moment.

When Aang realized that, he recoiled from their hard, marble glares and turned his back towards the room, "I need some fresh air."

A furrow formed between Katara's brows, concern evident within her eyes, "Are you okay?"

Aang didn't turn around completely, but he did glance at her over his shoulder, a small smile on his features, "I'm fine. I just want to go look around a bit more."

Though the softness of his tone did little to squash the worry she had for him on the inside, Katara gave him a weak nod and turned back to the statues that stood before her.

Aang wandered down the halls, hands fidgeting nervously with his autumn colored robes. Seeing all of those faces, feeling that energy rising up within him, and gaining that knowledge within an instant and not having to ask questions, it was highly disorienting to him. He felt like he knew them all. But he didn't just know them, he had been them. It was all a bit too much for a sixteen year old boy to handle.

Meandering down the hall, Aang saw a small shadow moving slightly in the dull light of day. The young boy's heart rate picked up as his feet slowed down, every step becoming quieter as he crept up to the corridor in which the shadow was coming from. Back flat up against the wall, Aang peaked around the corner cautiously.

Shivering in a tight ball of fur and ash, laid a small, ring-tailed lemur. The creature had long white ears that were the size of nearly half its body, and large eyes that glanced nervously from left to right as its form continued to shake.

Aang had always had a soft spot for animals, being raised a vegetarian, so the sight broke his heart. The lemur looked so scared and lost. It kind of reminded him of what he was feeling at the moment.

"Hey, little guy."

The creature's ears went up at the soft sound of Aang's voice, the animal immediately on guard and using its lean legs to back itself up against the wall in a desperate try to put more distance between itself and the young airbender before it. But what surprised the creature even more was when the boy came up to it with no hesitation and picked it up, placing it on his lap and gently running his fingers along the top of his head.

The lemur tensed for a moment, fear and anxiety clouding its senses, but soon it began to release small purs as Aang began to scratch behind his ears.

"Why are you all alone?" The Avatar asked the creature with curiosity,  
"Where are all your friends?"

Though the animal couldn't understand a word Aang was saying, the boy somehow knew that by the sad look on the creature's face, that his friends were gone along with Aang's.

Sighing while rising up to a standing position, Aang allowed the lemur to scurry on to his shoulder and nuzzle its head into the crook of his neck, "I'll tell you what. I'll be your friend, if you'll be mine."

The lemur chirped at his new master's proposal, eliciting a quiet chuckle from the tall, young man.

They walked along the corridors of the fallen temple for a little while longer, Aang mindlessly talking to the small creature as it attempted to listen to the conversation at hand. Though no matter what it did, it never fully could grasp what the airbender was trying to say.

On their way back to Katara and the room of statues, Aang wandered down another hallway, leading out into a small meditation room that lay halfway within the mountain. It had always been his and Gyatso's favorite place to go, so maybe visiting it would clear his head a bit more and give him a sense of direction.

But it did everything but that.

Moving the heavy curtain that covered the entrance of the makeshift meditation cave, Aang was stunned into silence.

Helmets and armor laid every where on the stone floor, the auburn of their material mixing in with the remnants of blood that stained the ground. The soldier's skin was still attached to their bodies, signalling that they had not been killed by fire, but by something else. That wasn't what caused him to stop though.

At the front of the room lay Monk Gyatso, his bones the only thing remaining of him besides a bit of the fabric from his usual robes and the necklace he always wore around his neck. It was obvious his flesh had been burned to a crisp, leading to his death.

Suddenly, Aang couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't feel anything. He was numb. Dropping to his knees, the boy released a strangled whimper, his fists clenching tightly as he pushed them into the ground by his sides. His sobs finally bubbled to the surface, the tears running down his cheeks uncomfortingly warm as they dropped from his chiseled chin and on to the floor beneath him.

He could feel something else happening within him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. It was as though his heart was breaking into a million pieces over what he had seen before him that day, what he was seeing at the moment. But it was more than that. He could feel the energy building within him as his anguish grew more intense, along with the rage he was containing inside.

That's when the statues began to glow.

Katara's eyes widened as she jumped a few steps back in fright at the sight. Glancing up, she realized it wasn't just the statues on the ground level who's eyes began to light up, it was every single one of them.

"Aang!"

The young airbender called out for him as she quickly exited the room, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she subtly used airbending to make herself go a bit faster. Running blindly down a set of corridors, Katara realized she had no idea where she was going, but inside, she knew that wherever it was she was running to was where Aang would be.

And she was right.

She reached the small meditation cave in a matter of minutes, nearly being blown off her feet as rocks and debris began to swirl around her. The stone structure caved in around the source of energy that was causing the disturbance, the wind picking up and knocking her down to the ground as she held up a hand to her eyes to shield herself from the dust and ash that was currently swirling around her.

In the middle of it all, was Aang floating in midair. His eyes and tattoos were glowing with a strange light similar to the ones the statues had been lighted with. Shocked and a bit confused, Katara took shelter behind a small boulder that lay near the entrance of the temple, her hands gripping on to its surface.

"Aang!" Katara yelled desperately over the whistling of the wind around her,  
calling out to the boy who was now so enraged that he was blindly destroying his home, "Aang, come on! Snap out of it!"

No response came from him and the wind's speed only increased. Tears began to form within her eyes.

"I know you're upset, Aang!" Her voice rose above the sounds of the wind, her shouted words reaching the ears of the Avatar, "But we have each other! We've lost so much already, please don't let me lose you as well!"

The winds continued to whistle, but the rate in which they were blowing decreased, so Katara continued on.

"You're the only family I have now, Aang!"

Finally after those words were said, the young man's body slowly fell back to the ground. Katara ran up to him the moment his feet hit the stone,  
her arms catching him as he wobbled slightly to the side, his eyes and tattoos returning to their usual color.

"What just happened?"

Katara's body was shaking as she hugged him tightly, both airbenders sinking to their knees and grabbing on to the other.

"I don't know," She mumbled into his neck, arms holding on to him for dear life, "I was in the room of statues when they began to glow and I walked out here and found you bending up a storm."

Aang's heart rate increased as he realized what had just happened. The monks had only told him a little about the power of the Avatar, but one thing they had mentioned had been the Avatar State. It was the accumulation of his past lives focusing their energy within him. It was something that was meant to be mastered, but also something that had a reputation of being hard to control. Aang had lost it, and in the process,  
he had nearly hurt his best friend.

"I didn't mean to do that," He whispered into her hair, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her closer, "I didn't mean to get that upset."

Katara drew back from him, only enough so that she could look up at his face, "Aang, what was that exactly?"

The young man tried to turn his gaze away from her's, but she used a gentle hand to nudge his chin back in her direction.

"Aang, please. That was terrifying."

Guilt bubbled up within him, along with a strong feeling of remorse. He was going to have to tell her eventually. Maybe now was the right time,  
rather than later. He feared the anger and blame she would most definately direct at him, but he couldn't keep it a secret forever. She was his best friend, and she deserved to know.

"You know how I told you I came to visit The Western Air Temple because I needed to check on Appa?" He quietly asked her, looking into her stormy eyes as she gave him a slight nod, "Well that wasn't the only reason I was visiting."

One of Katara's brows raised in confusion, "Than why were you there?"

Aang cleared his throat slightly, his eyes wandering to the stone pillars of the temple behind them, his gaze yet again avoiding her's, "I was sharing with the nuns the identity of the Avatar."

The young girl's eyes widened at his words, her hands grasping firmly to his shoulders as she asked with evident curiosity, "Who was it?"

The airbender took a moment to respond, his gaze falling to the ground as he tried to gather enough courage to mutter the answer.

"Me."

Of all the things Aang expected Katara to do, hugging him was definitely not one of them. He expected her to storm off, to tell him that everything that happened was his fault. He expected her to accuse him of hiding things from her and for her to run off without him. But of course, Katara would hug him instead.

The airbender's arms were around his shoulders, her face buried within his neck as she held on to him tightly. Aang had already put his muscular arms in return around her waist, but he couldn't hide the confused expression on his face.

"Katara?"

"Sh, Aang."

"But Katara - "

"Aang, be quiet."

The Avatar silenced himself, waiting for her to explode or do something that would reveal how she really felt about his given title. But she didn't do anything. She just sat there hugging him.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled into her hair miserably, trying his best to stomp down the guilt and regret that rose within him. Surely by now she realized that he was the reason she had no mother.

Katara pulled back from him an inch, her face close to his as she asked quietly, "About what?"

Aang quirked a brow at her question, his confusion growing by the moment, "I'm sorry that I'm the cause of all this."

The young girl scoffed slightly at his accusation, returning her head to his neck and holding him even tighter, "Don't be ridiculous."

"But Katara," Aang quietly argued, a tear escaping the side of his right eye, "I'm the Avatar. I'm the reason the Fire Nation destroyed our homes and people."

After feeling the moisture of his tear slide down her own cheek, Katara glanced up at him. Beautiful silver eyes looked up into his own with no blame or anger within them. All he could see was sympathy and comfort. Maybe even something else.

"I don't care," Katara stated simply.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I am so sorry this took so long! The last few weeks of school, were absolutely insane. Plus, in that time, I also took a trip to Disney World so I was just incredibly busy even though that is really no excuse. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, I am actually quite happy with it! God bless!

**Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or its characters.**

* * *

"So," Katara drawled, looking to her right where Aang dutifully trudged along beside her, "What do we do now?"

"I don't really know."

Stormy eyes looked down at the ash covered stone sadly, "Well, what is the Avatar supposed to do?"

Aang paused when she asked that question, hands meeting behind his back as he turned once more to look back upon the scene she had just rescued him from moments before. Bones and remains were scattered everywhere due to his loss of power, the cave walls completely gone now and instead replaced with open space. He shivered, the amount of things he could do, caused him to recoil with fear.

"I don't know, Katara," His words were quiet as they turned their backs on the meditation space left in shambles, both reciting parting prayers within their minds as they forged distance between the makeshift grave and themselves, "I've only known for a short while that this is who I am, I don't really have a clue on what I am supposed to do."

Katara nodded sympathetically before turning her gaze to the corridor in front of them.

"The monks told me about the room of statues though," He looked at her sideways, silver eyes turning hopeful, "Did you find anything in there that could be helpful after I left?"

The young airbender sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry. All that I found was statues."

Aang released a frustrated sigh, "Figures. Even the monks had no idea what the path of the Avatar should be."

"Hey," Katara reminded him softly, wrapping a hand around his elbow and stopping him momentarily, "Don't speak of them that way. They just paid a price that wasn't their's to pay."

Her words quieted him, the weight of them laying heavily across his shoulders as he looked down at her with an apologetic gaze, "I know. I'm just frustrated. I have never felt so lost and confused in my life."

Katara gave the young man a small smile, "That makes two of us."

Before Aang could begin walking again though, Katara held him back once more, the pale moonlight gracing across her curious features, "Aang, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The young man looked down at her with regret, knowing that she was going to ask that question at some point given the past occurence she had witnessed.  
She had every right to ask. Here he was, at fault for the death of her people, and he didn't even have the courage to tell her of his identity until it was absolutely necessary. What he had done wasn't fair to her. It was as if she was traveling with some random stranger whom she didn't even know the story behind.

"I was scared," He admitted softly, his gaze escaping her own and looking pointedly at the ground. His feet shifted nervously after silence followed his confession, their quiet breathing being the only sound that could be heard within the walls of the temple. A few moments later though, came her gentle reply.

"Why?" The question was bathed in genuine curiosity, her tone completely void of the anger he was expecting.

"It was all my fault."

Katara scoffed at his answer, arms crossing over her chest as she gave him a dubious glance, "Aang, you had plenty of time before the comet occurred to tell me. That's why I'm asking."

The Avatar slowly lifted his gaze, regret evident on his features along with hesitance, "I just didn't want you to treat me any differently."

"What? Why would I do that?" Katara asked quietly, taken a back by the palpable fear within his words, "Aang, Avatar or not, you're still Aang. Surely you know that. You have been the Avatar your entire life, just because you know of your power now doesn't make you a completely different person."

"That's not how they saw it over here," Aang admitted, glancing out the window that lay on the wall beside them, his eyes drifting upwards to the moon as the pain and isolation he had felt a mere week before surfaced once again, "They all acted so strange. No one would talk to me anymore. I couldn't figure out if it was out of respect or fear."

Katara's heart clenched when she recognized the actual hurt within Aang's words. He genuinely thought that she was going to react in the same fashion. Though she felt as though she should be offended that he would write her off as no better than his general group of friends, she resisted the urge to lash out at him. That was the last thing either of them needed.

"Aang," She called him out of his reverie gently, her words quiet yet truthful, "You and I have been friends for years. I consider you to be my best friend, one as close as family. Please, don't ever be scared to tell me something, especially something as big as this. It's you and I now, and in order to make this work, we need to be completely honest with each other. No secrets."

The Avatar smiled softly at her passionate insistence, "Alright, no more secrets."

"Good."

It was Aang's turn to stop her as she began to walk down the hall again, pulling her into a warm embrace.

"Thank you, Katara."

The girl smiled as she looked up at him, "You don't really have anything to thank me for. It was because of you that we escaped the attack on the Western Air Temple."

A cloud of regret covered Aang's face once again, but Katara was quick to reassure him, "The attacks that had absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Katara - "

"No," She pulled herself from his arms and gave him a stern look, silver eyes glaring directly at him, "If we are going to continue on, you have to make me another promise."

Aang sighed, "Alright, what would that be?"

"You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened."

"But - "

"No."

The young man released another sigh of resignation, "Alright, no more." Though he had said the words, Aang knew the feeling within him would never fully go away, but seeing the satisfied grin on Katara's face made it worth pretending as though a little of his guilt had fled from him in that moment.

They walked back to the room of statues in silence, both shivering as the cold night air seeped its way into the stone structure. Without even thinking, Aang wrapped a warm arm around Katara and pulled her to his side to protect her from the chill. A grateful smile was his reward in return.

When they reentered the room, they were met with a most unusual sight. A lemur among a large pile of fruit.

"Momo?"

The little creature looked up at the sound of his new name escaping the lips of the Avatar, an excited chirp bubbling its way from its throat as it showed off the large pile of fruit it had brought the young airbenders.

Aang laughed at the sight, realizing that after his bought of rage, Momo must have ran off to find something to offer to him to quell his anger.

Katara looked up at Aang curiously, "You two know each other?"

Momo rushed up to the Avatar and excitedly raced up to perch itself on his shoulder, causing Katara to take a hurried step back, "Yeah, we kind of met before you came and found me."

The girl hesitantly gazed at the large eyed lemur before gently reaching up to scratch its ears, "Well he's definitely a hyper, little thing."

"They all are," Aang remarked before his features darkened, eyes gazing sadly at the creature currently purring on his shoulders, "Or more like they all were."

Katara looked up at Aang with hurt in her eyes, "You mean he's the only one left?"

The Avatar could only nod.

They sat down and passed around the fruit for awhile, neither of them really knowing what to say over the loud chattering of Momo as he fluttered between the two airbenders, distributing the food.

"I hope you don't mind another traveler coming along with us."

Katara giggled quietly as she reached over to scratch the lemur on the head once again, "Of course not. The more the merrier."

Aang smiled as he watched her gently handle the animal, getting him to finally settle down within the confines of her lap.

"I'm thinking we should probably look for some extra robes around here before we head out again."

The girl looked up at his words, brows furrowing, "Where are we going from here?"

"I don't know."

"Well then don't you think we should avoid Air Nomad clothes that are going to give away our identity?"

Aang opened his mouth to argue, but in all honesty, she was right, "That probably would be best."

"Alright then," Katara looked at him pensively, "So where do we go from here?"

The Avatar sighed heavily, looking up at the statues that surrounded them. He guessed he knew exactly what he needed to do from here, but the real question was, could he do it.

"The legend says that the Avatar must master all four elements," He remarked meaningfully, gazing up into the cold, stone eyes of Roku.

"And you have already mastered air," Katara smiled as the moon grazed over the top of the boy's powder blue tattoos, "So that leaves you with water, earth, and fire."

"Then what?"

"Then I guess you are a fully realized Avatar."

Aang shook his head, "No, I know that," His gaze returned to her own, a deep curiosity finding its way into his silver stare, "I just mean, what am I working towards. Why become a fully realized Avatar when we could just run forever?"

"That's not how it's supposed to be, Aang."

"I know," The boy admitted, gazing down at his lap, "I just think what you are implying is a bit impossible."

"What am I implying?"

"That I become a fully realized Avatar," Aang mumbled, "Then go on to defeat the Fire Nation."

Katara's brows furrowed even deeper at his words, "I never implied that. But that is what people would expect the Avatar to do."

"People think the Avatar is dead," Aang reasoned with her, "What difference would it make if I just disappeared?"

"Can you really do that after what the Fire Nation did to our people?"

Her question wasn't demanding, or stern, it was filled with genuine curiosity and maybe even a bit of hurt. Here he was, the most powerful being in the world supposedly, and he was too chicken to go up against a nation that had destroyed everything he had ever known and everyone he had ever loved.

Almost everyone, he reminded himself while glancing up at Katara who was expectantly awaiting his answer. No, he couldn't just run away from this. He owed this to her. He owed this to the world. He couldn't just sit around while more people fell victim to the horribly, tyrannical Fire Nation. He had to do something. And he could do something.

"No," Aang answered her, a new fire awaking within his eyes, a new found destiny instilling its way into his mind, "I couldn't do that."

"So then, where do we go from here?"

Standing from his sitting position on the ground, the young man reached out a hand to help his companion up.

"To the South Pole."


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but I KNEW I needed to update so I went ahead and did so. I'm sorry for the wait, life has gotten so busy and it's really disorienting. I'm hoping to update a few more times before summer ends though, so I hope you'll be seeing a lot more of this story in the coming weeks. Thank you for reading and reviewing and please continue to do so! God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

As the air became colder, so did Katara's demeanor. The flight to the South Pole wasn't going to take very long, and she couldn't help but resent that.

Though she knew Aang needed to get there, the young airbender wished desperately their journey would last a bit longer despite her discomfort from their choice of travel.

Surprisingly, Katara had never enjoyed flying. Despite being an airbender herself, she couldn't deny that being up at strange heights caused her to be a bit apprehensive. She loved the wind in her face, weaving its way through her thick dark curls, but she couldn't stand the idea of not being grounded. Though Aang had grabbed them some gliders back at The Western Air Temple before they fled, she had neglected to use her's thus far.

Glancing ahead, the girl had to smile. From her position on Appa's saddle, Katara caught glimpses of Aang through the wispy clouds. The young Avatar was still a bit shaky when it came to guiding his animal companion, seeing as he was just about to start training before everything turned into a disaster, so he had made the decision just to fly ahead and direct the great bison himself.

Whenever he was in the air, she could see the relief it brought him. His stormy eyes brightened a bit as the wind kissed his skin and ruffled his robes in the stunning moonlight. Those arrow tattoos, pale blue and striking, were the first thing anyone's eyes were drawn to. Something that obviously marked him of his heritage.

Though she had been jealous of those markings before, she couldn't help but feel relieved that she hadn't received her arrows yet. At least she would have an easier time hiding her identity.

After a few hours of flying, Aang returned back to his bison. The animal was on the correct path in which they needed to go, not needing Aang's assistance to guide him anymore. Though just an animal, Katara couldn't deny the certain amount of awe she held for the great creature. Throughout the whole process, still young and untrained, Appa had been picking up quickly on the urgency of their mission. He had whined when they returned to him after surveying the ruins of The Southern Air Temple, but had quickly quieted once he saw the looks on both of the teenagers' faces. He understood.

"That's a good boy," Aang murmured as he reached over the side of the saddle to pet his bison affectionately, running his tired fingers through the animal's course fur. Appa grumbled in response, kicking his legs to speed up.

Carefully navigating his way around the saddle, Aang reached into one of their travel bags and pulled out the blanket they had been using since the comet. Scooting over to the corner where his companion had seated herself, Aang wrapped the blanket around her trembling shoulders. Though he was a bit cold himself, Aang suspected his inner firebender was helping shield him from the biting wind. Katara,  
on the other hand, looked miserable.

When her friend wrapped the scratchy material around her, the girl looked up and graced him with a grateful smile. Though Aang could see that the air wasn't the only thing that was bugging her.

Sitting beside her, the Avatar wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, hoping that the affectionate gesture would get her to talk.

Though Katara appreciated Aang's tender treatment, she kept her mouth pressed tightly together. Something had been bugging her since they had decided to travel to the South Pole, but she didn't want to plague her companion with her worries. He already had so much he needed to think about.

The sun began to rise over the horizon, signaling the arrival of morning. The warm sunlight did little to warm up the two travellers, but they couldn't deny that the light was a bit more welcoming than the dark of the night.

Momo, who had slept the majority of the journey, perked up as soon as the sunlight hit him. Ears twitching as he excitedly ran to the travel pack and grabbed a moonpeach from its confines. Aang followed soon after him, also grabbing one for Katara.

They sat in silence and ate their breakfast, both thinking of what was going to happen when they reached their destination. Aang was already fretting over the idea of having to learn a different element, and Katara was readying herself for the emotions their visit may bring forth.

Though concerned with what awaited him, Aang's silver eyes returned to Katara's face every few moments. Her dark brows were scrunched together, and there was a certain sadness evident in her features that he hadn't seen in awhile. It was a sadness he had learned long ago connected to her father.

"You still think he's out there?" His question wasn't demeaning or searching, he was just genuinely curious.

The girl sighed, mentally hitting herself in the face for ever thinking he wouldn't catch on to her discomfort, "I don't know. He was taken to prison, but that was so long ago. He could have died in there. I'm just terrified that everything in the South is going to remind me of him."

The Avatar set aside his moonpeach and gently reached forward to hold her hand, "I thought you had never met him?"

The girl squeezed his fingers tightly, releasing another sigh, "I haven't. But my mom told me stories about their time together. She described him so vividly, I couldn't even imagine knowing a person so well. They had only been with each other for such a short time, but their love was incredible. He didn't even know she was pregnant when he left. My mom kept all his old coats stuffed in her closet though, letting me go through them sometimes and just touch them. She did such a great job describing him, that sometimes I could even see him in those coats, waiting with open arms for me to jump into."

The boy nodded, scooting closer to her so that their faces were only inches apart, "Why didn't you tell me that going to the South Pole was going to hurt you? We could have traveled north instead."

Katara scoffed at this, rolling her stormy eyes and pointedly staring at the clouds passing them rather than meeting his gaze, "Aang, we don't have time to fool around. Don't worry about me, this whole journey is about you. We need to find you a waterbending master fast, and the easiest way to do so is to travel south. That is what we are doing. I will be fine, I promise."

Aang's eyes never left her face, and though her words were said with great conviction, he still could see the sadness that lingered on her features, "Just because I'm the Avatar, doesn't mean I'm going to throw away your feelings and allow my duties to dictate our decisions. This journey is going to be hard no matter what we do. Don't feel like you have to make all the sacrifices from here on out, Katara. We're a team now."

The young girl smiled at his words, nodding, "I know, Aang. But I want to do this for you. I will be fine, I promise. I'll get used to it. I just have never really seen this part of my heritage before and, to be honest, the idea is a bit frightening. Not just because this place may remind me of my Dad,  
but because this place is connected to another half of me. A side of me I have never truly recognized or been proud of."

Aang usually forgot that the Air Nomads weren't the only set of people Katara had, even though she did consider that to be who she was. The girl was also partially Water Tribe. So no matter how much she tried to belong to the Air Nomads, there would always be a part of her that didn't.

"You don't want to be half Water Tribe, do you?"

The girl was a bit taken aback by his question, but she couldn't deny it.

"It's hindered me my whole life, Aang," Her voice was barely above a whisper, the words trembling as she revealed this very vulnerable side of herself,  
"I could never fully grasp airbending because there was always this side of me that was working against it. I'm brash, and stubborn, and ill-tempered. Those aren't the traits an airbender should possess. I'm about to go be among these people who, by blood, are going to see me as a sister of them. But in reality, the part of me they think they own, is the part of me I have tried to hide my entire life. I get my love of healing from that side of me, but that's it. Everything else my mixed heritage has given to me, has only been negative. I cannot bring myself to consider these people, my people. I lost my people."

Aang was having a bit of trouble following where Katara was going with her points, but didn't want to break her confession, getting her to open up even further, "So, you fear that you are betraying the Air Nomad part of your heritage by being around this culture, because they will consider you a part of them, when in reality, you don't want anything to do with them?"

Katara shrugged, "I guess so. I really don't know what I'm feeling right now, Aang. I'm just confused. I'm confused about my Dad and this whole journey and I just can't quite get a grasp on my reasoning behind it all. I'm just a mess."

Releasing her hands to pull her against his chest, the Avatar wrapped his friend in a warm embrace, "I think a lot has happened lately and your just trying to sort everything out, which is proving to be impossible."

"I just don't know who I am."

Aang laughed lightly, burying his face in her hair and whispering softly, "Then we are on the same boat. I have no idea who I am either. I just received the biggest news of my life weeks ago and I'm still trying to get a good grasp on it. And, on top of all that, I lost almost everyone who used to be so important to me. I'm navigating unknown waters now."

The girl looked up at him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she guiltily murmured, "I'm just making it harder for you."

The boy shook his head, eyes shining with sincerity, "No, you aren't making it harder on me. With everything in my life as shaky as it is, you are the only thing I'm sure of. Being the Avatar isn't going to be easy, but I know that at least I'll have you around."

Katara smiled at his words and buried her face into his tattered, autumn colored tunic once again, "I'm sorry for being so emotional."

"You don't ever need to apologize for that."

They sat there quietly for a few moments, wrapped in a warm embrace as the sunlight filled their vision and glinted off the waves below them.

"You're a good friend, Aang," Though the words were quiet, the young man heard them and couldn't contain his smile.

"So are you, Katara."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: We have a Korra release date! September 13th! Ah! Anyway, I think this is my favorite chapter thus far, so I hope you enjoy! Sokka and Zuko are being introduced in the next one. Please review! God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

They had arrived at the South Pole by midday, the sky bison and two passengers garnering some questioning glances as they descended upon the snow covered ground. Villagers from all sides stared, many of them emerging from their carefully sculpted ice huts to catch a glimpse of what all the commotion was over.

It was a commonly known fact that the Air Nomads rarely made visits to other nations, preferring instead to travel to the different air temples in order to calm their genetic wander lust. For two random teenaged airbenders to show up in the South Pole with charred clothing and singed hair to match, was enough to set the entire South into a state of alarm.

They had been greeted by a group of elders, five older woman with wrinkled tan skin and an array of white colored braids drifting down the lengths of their shoulders. Blue eyes gazed at the young travelers hesitantly, but after Aang had requested an audience, they had reluctantly agreed to let him share his story. Their guard remained up though.

As the elders led them out of the center of the village, Katara allowed herself a glance around at the people gathered there. They were whispering as the two newcomers walked away, their small children glancing curiously from behind their mother's skirts. That's when Katara noticed the extreme lack of men in the tribe.

"Aang?"

The young man tilted his head towards his friend, "Yes?"

"Have you noticed there are no men around?"

The airbender's brows furrowed momentarily, his stormy eyes glancing at the people gathered around them, staring as they walked away with the tribe's elder council. He spotted no men.

"Hm," Aang murmured, wrapping a gentle arm around his friend to guide her carefully over a fresh mound of snow, "That's a little strange."

Katara nestled closer into his side, uncomfortable by all the cerulean gazes that seemed to follow them as they walked. She breathed a small sigh of relief when they reached the hut the elder's had entered. Aang,  
ever the gentleman, held the flap up for her to enter before himself.

The young Avatar really had no plan as to what he was going to tell the women, but in the end, the truth was all he needed. He told them of all that had happened within the past few days, weeks, none of them really were sure of how long ago it had been at that point. He told them of the fall of the Air Nomads, sharing the details of what had happened on the night of the comet. This sparked quite a reaction.

"This makes sense now," The woman sitting front and center muttered, her hardened features growing softer as she looked at the two young airbenders,  
"Our men left a few days after the comet lit up the skies. It was then that they noticed several Fire Nation ships making their way slowly through the waters.  
They were headed back in the direction of the Fire Nation, but the warriors did not wish to take any chances. They are now patrolling the waters surrounding the area. I'm assuming the ships were headed back after conquering The Southern Air Temple."

Aang nodded gravely, "That would be the most logical explanation." His smooth voice appeared to be level, but Katara could hear the slight shake in it, "Several fleets were sent to each Air Temple, all with the same goal. To kill the Avatar."

The women murmured among themselves, silencing again once Aang started on the next part of his story.

"I was present at The Western Air Temple at this time," He turned his head back in the direction of the door, where Katara still stood nervous and unsure,  
"We both were."

"The Southern Water Tribe was under the impression that only women were housed at The Western Air Temple."

Aang's head bowed at the comment, his gaze falling to his shoes, "I was only a visitor reporting news to the nuns. News regarding the identity of the Avatar."

The women looked on expectantly, watching as the young man's eyes darted back at Katara once more, "I was sent to tell them that I had been told of my position as the Avatar, and that I was about to begin preparing for my journey to master the four elements. The Council shared with me that they feared trouble was near, and that I would only have a limited time to learn what I needed to. I guess none of us really realized how limited that time actually was."

The women in the middle, Kanna one of the other members had called her, remained seated with a passive expression as the women around her murmured excitedly about being in the presence of the all knowing Avatar, "So, young Avatar, what brings you down here to the South Pole? We have little to offer housing wise and can only provide you with so much."

Aang nodded, "I'm aware of that, and I ask for nothing. The reason we traveled down here is in search of a waterbending teacher. Though the Air Nomads are now gone, I still have a duty that needs to be fulfilled."

Each elder looked at each other for a moment, their glances full of hesitance. The Avatar's silver eyes met again with the girl's who stood near the door, her expression encouraging and gentle.

"We regret to inform you, Avatar," Kanna began, "That unfortunately none of our waterbenders are stationed here at the moment. All went with the forces to fight off Fire Nation troops in the Earth Kingdom before the war even began. Most of them were locked in prison and some we never heard from again. This was when we lost our chief as well. The men we sent to patrol are nonbenders, so none of them could be of any assistance to you."

Aang visibly deflated, his look of defeat causing Katara to speak up, "Do you have no women here who could teach him? Surely this tribe doesn't just birth male waterbenders."

"I'm afraid our women have always chosen to focus their skills on healing rather than combat," The older woman informed, crossing her arms over her chest,  
"I'm afraid the only place that currently has practicing waterbenders is the North Pole."

The Avatar heaved a heavy sigh, the weight of the world resting upon his shoulders. A trip to the north would take weeks, only delaying his training further.  
Of course, their was no reason for him to argue with the women. It wasn't their fault that there were no waterbenders around to teach him.

After another short discussion, it was decided that Aang and Katara would stay for a few days in order to rest before they began their long journey up north. Aang was reluctant, already feeling as though he had wasted enough time, but one stern glance from Kanna had him agreeing to it immediately.

They were given new clothes to replace their burned garments. Katara couldn't deny that she actually loved what they had given her, despite her initial hesitance. Instead of wearing silk beneath their clothes, the woman of the tribe wore bindings, which were less comfortable than what she was used to but made her feel a bit more secure. The dark, long sleeved tunic she was given hugged her body in all the right places, the fabric not hanging off of her like her other robes had, causing her to lose all her shape. The navy leggings and boots were also different but welcomed.

She kept her mother's silk necklace tied tightly around her neck though, the orange fabric looking off in contrast to her new blue outfit. The teenager didn't care though, there was no way she was separating from her prized trinket. She wrapped a jacket snuggly around herself before holding up the seal skinned flap of the door.

When she emerged from the changing hut, she stopped in her tracks.

Aang stood in the middle of a gaggle of young girls. Some of the young women were their age, and some were the tender age of five, but every one of them had the same look in their eyes. A look that made Katara's own silver gaze roll around in annoyance.

They were absolutely infatuated with the Avatar.

Aang's cheeks were stained red as a few of the girl's made grabs for his arms.

"So YOUR the Avatar?!"

"Hey, you're kind of cute!"

"Can we see you airbend?!"

"Oh, I love your tattoos!"

"Do you have a girlfriend?!"

Katara shook her head, fighting the urge to roll her eyes once again. She should have laughed, the scene was hilarious, but something inside of her told her the situation wasn't humorous at all. It was a strange feeling, one that she had felt before but never for someone else. Shaking the thought from her head, she turned on her heel and walked in the other direction.

She was in search of something for the two of them to eat that night, when a mittened hand grabbed a hold of her shoulder from behind.

"Dear," The airbender turned around, met face to face with the elderly woman from earlier, Kanna, "If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your necklace?"

Katara was taken a back for a moment, looking down at the fabric and stone that surrounded her neck. She brought a covered hand up to gently touch the pendent.

"My father gave it to my mother," She answered quietly, "It's a betrothal necklace."

"Oh, I am well aware of what it is," The woman smiled slightly, her gaze meeting the other girl's with a hint of humor, "I was just confused as to why a young airbender was wearing it."

Katara nodded, "It is quite strange, I realize."

"Was one of your parents of Water Tribe descent?"

The young woman hesitated a moment, biting her lip. Of course, she knew the answer to the elderly woman's question, it was written all over her slightly tanner skin and Water Tribe name, it's just that she hadn't originally been planning to say anything about it.

"Yes, my father was from here. My mother nursed him back to health after he was wounded during a fight. They married in secrecy before he returned to his fleet."

"Ah, a forbidden romance," The woman commented, smiling at the airbender, "The Water Tribe men are known for stealing hearts."

Katara nodded, returning the elder's smile with a weak one.

"Do you happen to know his name?" Kanna questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as the cold wind picked up, "I have been here quite awhile, I remember all the men who went off to fight."

The girl hesitated a moment, trying her best to recall the name her mother had shared with her only a few times, "I believe his name was Hakoda."

Katara hadn't expected the older woman to look so shocked, but just as soon as her expression became disbelieving, it returned to her usual imapssive stare.

"Ah, yes. Hakoda."

Not knowing what to say, the airbender picked up a relatively heavy pot of sea prunes laying by her feet. A woman had been nice enough to offer a portion of her family's dinner for the night to her and Aang, causing Katara's unease for the South Pole to lessen a great amount. But Kanna's searching stare only worsened Katara's feeling of awkwardness.

"Well," The young woman spoke, after standing in silence for a few moments, "I really should get back to the hut."

"Enjoy your dinner," Kanna called out to her as she walked back in the direction she had come from. She supposed that the words were supposed to sound airy, but Katara could detect the slight heaviness behind them. The mention of her father had changed something within the elder.

Upon returning to the visitor's hut where she was staying, Katara was glad to see that Aang was already inside of it. A small fire was glowing in the middle of the floor, their two temporary pelts laying on either side of it. The Avatar turned around as his friend entered. Katara stopped in her tracks.

She had never seen Aang in anything but his airbending robes. The blue, sleeveless tunic he had been given showcased every lean muscle in his arms, the color causing his eyes to appear even brighter than before. He had also been given a pair of navy pants that tucked snuggly into a new pair of brown boots to replace the old ones that had been ruined and covered in ash. Despite his pale skin and vibrant tattoos, Aang looked incredibly Water Tribe.

And incredibly handsome.

Regaining herself, Katara shook that thought from her head, "Well, you sure look different."

Aang smiled smugly, "I think you're looking for a better word."

"Stop fishing."

The young man laughed at his friend's exasperated expression, walking over and relieving her of the pot she carried in her arms.

"So what's for dinner?"

"They call them stewed sea prunes."

Aang removed the top of the pot to take an experimental sniff at the foreign food. He caught a quick whiff of it and instantly pulled back.

"Yuck!"

Katara laughed at the look of disgust evident on his features, "It's the only vegetarian dish they have, Aang. It's all we have to work with."

The young man pouted in response, but the pout soon faded away into a small smile. He watched as Katara shed her jacket and revealed the new tunic she wore beneath.

"Well, you sure look different."

Katara rolled her eyes before deepening her voice and mimicking his earlier response, "I think you're looking for a better word."

Aang smiled softly, "Yeah, I am. How about beautiful?"

"Stop it."

"I can't help it," The young man shrugged, sitting down on the pelt he had been given to sleep on, "I bet if all the men were here, none of them would be able to take their eyes off you."

"Says the guy who was surrounded by girls earlier."

Aang shyly looked at the ground, a blush appearing on his cheeks, "They just like me cause I'm the Avatar."

Katara smiled, going over to sit next to her friend, "I highly doubt that."

The boy gave her a small smile, before they settled into a comfortable silence. It had been so long since they had just been given the time to relax and joke with each other. It felt nice to laugh and cut up. Neither one spoke of their change of plans, or the events that had happened not so long ago, they just enjoyed the moment.

Katara served dinner not much later, placing the steaming liquid in a pair of wooden bowls. Handing Aang his dinner, Katara gave him a teasing smile.

"Eat up, Avatar."

The young man grumbled in response, his gaze drifting to his side where she sat and ate the stewed sea prunes as well. She sniffed at the meal for a moment before taking a small bite of the food. Expecting her to spit it right back out, Aang shifted away from her slightly in hopes of not being the one she decided to spit it on, but he was surprised to see that she actually went in for another bite.

"These are really good!"

The Avatar had to laugh at her reaction. Of course, she would do the exact opposite of what he expected. That's how Katara was.

After dinner had been finished, the two quieted down. The air being too cold for either of them to change into the pajamas they had been given, the airbenders simply removed their boots before curling up under their blankets.

Aang gazed at Katara from across the fire, smiling at the look of contentment that rested upon her face. He had been so nervous that she was going to feel uncomfortable here, but it seemed she was taking to it quite nicely.

He was about to fall asleep when he heard Katara shift behind him. A moment later, something cool and shivering was crawling under his blanket with him. He lazily opened his eyes to be met with a near identical stormy set.

"Katara?"

The girl looked up at her companion shyly, scooting a little closer, "I'm sorry, Aang. It's just really cold. I couldn't fall asleep."

The Avatar gave her a tired smile, wrapping his arms snuggly around her, "If the elders come in here in the morning to wake us, they are going to get the wrong idea."

"It's none of their business."

Aang laughed, burying his face in her dark curls, "True."

After getting no response, the airbender assumed that his friend had fallen into a gentle slumber, but right when he was about to drop off into unconsciousness, a hesitant voice called him back into reality.

"Aang?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should grow your hair out."

Aang opened his eyes, a confused expression on his face.

"What?"

Looking up at him, Katara's gaze remained on the tip of the blue arrow on his forehead, "It's for when we travel. You're going to need to cover up your arrow."

Aang gave her a tired nod, "Sure, sure."

She fell silent again, but it wasn't her who broke the quiet the next time.

"Would you like to go penguin sledding tomorrow?" Aang asked.

"I don't even know what that is."

"Gyatso told me about it," Katara shifted so that she could meet his gaze, seeing the pain that lay behind his eyes at the mention of his past mentor, "He said it was the one thing you had to do if you ever had the chance to visit the South Pole."

Katara nodded, "I would love to go penguin sledding with you."

Both dreamt of penguins and navy blue that night.


End file.
